Drum Rudiments Practice Guide
Lv. 2 Rudiments

Lv. 2 Flam Double Paradiddles

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You may see this written differently elsewhere. This is a creative choice to help in the identification of a double stroke.

Notes and Practice tips:

Notes:

  • Coordination and Hand Independence:

    • The lR L R L R R rL R L R L L pattern requires both hands to work together smoothly, enhancing coordination and helping you change the leading hand while playing. 

  • Speed and Precision:

    • Building upon the Double Paradiddle, this rudiment helps drummers play cleanly at faster tempos, developing both speed and precision on the practice pad and the drum kit. By using a flam at the beginning of each rep, you create additional excitement and interest within fills and solos.

  • Technique and Control:

    • The flam adds complexity, requiring techniques learned by playing the double paradiddles but also the triple stroke where three strokes have to be played with the same hand going into each rep. Eg. lR L R L (R R r)L R L R L L

  • Versatility in Playing:

    • You'll find double paradiddle patterns used in real-world drumming applications. One of the clearest examples are 12/8 or 6/8 afro cuban rhythms. An example linked here.

Practice Tips

  1. Start Slow

    1. Use a metronome or choose a slow piece of music to help you stay consistent. Any music 6/8 or 12/8 would work best for this rudiment.

  2. Say “Double Paradiddle” Out Loud

    1. By splitting “double paradiddle” into six syllables (dou-ble-pa-ra-di-dle) you can get a sense of the pattern.

  3. Stick Height

    1. Apart from the flam, explore using one hand consistently higher than the other, either R or L. You will produce some interesting rhythms by doing this.

    2. The eventual aim is to be able to keep your stick height consistent so there are no louder notes in your rhythm. It should ultimately sound smooth with practice.

  4. Stay Consistent

    1. Keep the relative height of your sticks even

    2. Keep the rhythm even and stay in time

    3. Practice regularly to help build your muscles and endurance

  5. Get Used To Repetition

    1. Settle in, and prepare to do the exercise over and over again

    2. Playing along to music can help to provide variation and interest to your practice time. A 3min track also provides a good time marker as to how long you’ve been practicing.

  6. Slowly Increase Your Tempo

    1. When you feel comfortable playing through the rudiment slowly, incrementally increase the tempo then rehearse with this for a while. You’ll find that this will help you more effectively reach higher speeds rather than jumping straight to a speed in which you struggle